When she returned home, the Mercedes was in the driveway. Adam wasn’t downstairs, so she figured he was upstairs, washing up or watching TV. Marissa was in her room, or seemed to be- her stereo was blasting. Dana carried all the cartons of groceries in from the car, making several trips. She began unpacking the cartons, which included twenty- four- count packages of toilet paper and paper towels and enough gargantuan boxes of Cheerios to last the whole year. She was putting away two oversized jars of mango salsa when she heard the front door open, then slam. Moments later, Adam charged into the kitchen. His face was horribly bruised and bloodied, his hair was soaking wet, and he was screaming at her. “You fucking bitch!”

Dana was completely confused and terrified. She stared at him for a few seconds, then said,“My God, what… what happened to you?”

“Why?” he asked, spraying saliva from his bloodied mouth. “Just tell me why? Why? Fucking why?”

Naturally she thought, Uh- oh, it’s Tony.

“Why didn’t you come talk to me?” he said. “Isn’t that what I always do?

Don’t I come talk to you?”

She didn’t know it had to do with Tony, though. She couldn’t make that assumption.

Playing innocent, she said, “I don’t know what the hell-”

Adam grabbed her arm hard and said, “Why? Just tell me why. After all I’ve done. I’ve taken every possible step, done everything I can to save this marriage, and this is what you do to me? You humiliate me? Don’t you think I’ve had enough humiliation lately? You think I needed this?”

“You’re scaring me,” she said, her voice wavering. “I have no idea-” “I know, okay?” He was still squeezing her arm, staring hard into her eyes.

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore, okay? I know, okay? I fucking know everything.”

Oh God, this was surreal. She felt like she was falling, plunging. She stared back at Adam, who still looked crazed. His left cheek was badly bruised, and his left eye was partially closed. There was blood pooling on his lower lip.

Finally she said, “I… I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Oh, stop with your bullshit already,” he said. “Can you just do that for me?

Can you give me an ounce of fucking respect?”

“You’re hurting me,” she said.

“Hurting you?” he said. “That’s a good one.” He squeezed her arm harder for a few moments, then let go.

She held her arm, looking down- anywhere but at Adam- thinking, Maybe

I’m wrong. Maybe it doesn’t have to do with that at all.

“Why’re you doing this?” she said. “What’s wrong with you?” “Why can’t you just admit it?”

“Admit what?” she asked weakly.

“That you’re fucking him!” he screamed, holding up a piece of paper in front of her face. His hand was shaking so much, there was no way she could possibly read it. It looked like it had been crumpled, and it had red, maybe blood, on it.

Then she realized that it looked a lot like the other note that had been left at the house, the one that had threatened Adam. Now she was totally confused. “Wh- what is that?” she asked.

“Read it.”

“I c-c- can’t read it. Your hand’s moving.”

“It’s from the guy you’ve been fucking- Tony,” he spewed, spraying saliva. She felt beyond light- headed, like she had no blood in her head at all. Her legs felt like they were about to buckle, give way.

“How could you do this to me?” he asked. “Just give me a reason. I want to know why. Why? Why?”

“It’s not what you think,” she said.

“Oh, shut up!” he screamed. “Just shut the fuck up!”

She’d never seen him this way, so angry and crazed. Thank God they were downstairs and not up in the bedroom. He still had that gun cut in the closet. “Nothing happened,” she said desperately.

He glared at her like he hated her, like he wanted to kill her, then he said,

“You think you’re the only one? Huh? You think you’re the only one who’s miserable in this marriage?”

“I never said I was mis-”

“You think you’re the only one who ever wanted to cheat? You think when I dragged you into marriage counseling I was a happily married man?” Dana started to cry, not because she was sad about herself but because she was starting to understand how badly she’d hurt Adam. “I’m so sorry,” she said,

“but you don’t-”

“What, you think you’re the only one with bombshells, you’re the only one with secrets? Well, I have a secret for you. I haven’t exactly been faithful either.

There, how does that feel? Does it feel good, or does it hurt?”

He stared at her, waiting to see her reaction, but she didn’t have one. She thought he was lying, just to get a response from her.

“Please,” she said, “you don’t have to say things just to get even. If you’d just let me expl-”

“It was with Sharon.” His smile was gleeful, almost demented. “That’s right, your friend Sharon. We did it in my office, right on my therapy couch.” Dana didn’t believe him. “Oh, stop it,” she said.

“What? You think I’m making it up?” Adam said. “I swear on my father’s grave, I swear on my life, I swear on Marissa’s life that I am not making this up. humiliate me? Don’t you think I’ve had enough humiliation lately? You think I needed this?”

“You’re scaring me,” she said, her voice wavering. “I have no idea-” “I know, okay?” He was still squeezing her arm, staring hard into her eyes.

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore, okay? I know, okay? I fucking know everything.”

Oh God, this was surreal. She felt like she was falling, plunging. She stared back at Adam, who still looked crazed. His left cheek was badly bruised, and his left eye was partially closed. There was blood pooling on his lower lip.

Finally she said, “I… I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Oh, stop with your bullshit already,” he said. “Can you just do that for me?

Can you give me an ounce of fucking respect?”

“You’re hurting me,” she said.

“Hurting you?” he said. “That’s a good one.” He squeezed her arm harder for a few moments, then let go.

She held her arm, looking down- anywhere but at Adam- thinking, Maybe

I’m wrong. Maybe it doesn’t have to do with that at all.

“Why’re you doing this?” she said. “What’s wrong with you?” “Why can’t you just admit it?”

“Admit what?” she asked weakly.

“That you’re fucking him!” he screamed, holding up a piece of paper in front of her face. His hand was shaking so much, there was no way she could possibly read it. It looked like it had been crumpled, and it had red, maybe blood, on it.

Then she realized that it looked a lot like the other note that had been left at the house, the one that had threatened Adam. Now she was totally confused. “Wh- what is that?” she asked.

“Read it.”

“I c-c- can’t read it. Your hand’s moving.”

“It’s from the guy you’ve been fucking- Tony,” he spewed, spraying saliva. She felt beyond light- headed, like she had no blood in her head at all. Her legs felt like they were about to buckle, give way.

“How could you do this to me?” he asked. “Just give me a reason. I want to know why. Why? Why?”

“It’s not what you think,” she said.

“Oh, shut up!” he screamed. “Just shut the fuck up!”

She’d never seen him this way, so angry and crazed. Thank God they were downstairs and not up in the bedroom. He still had that gun cut in the closet. “Nothing happened,” she said desperately.

He glared at her like he hated her, like he wanted to kill her, then he said,

“You think you’re the only one? Huh? You think you’re the only one who’s miserable in this marriage?”

“I never said I was mis-”

“You think you’re the only one who ever wanted to cheat? You think when I dragged you into marriage counseling I was a happily married man?” Dana started to cry, not because she was sad about herself but because she was starting to understand how badly she’d hurt Adam. “I’m so sorry,” she said,